


this year, i plan to study a lot

by protegostark (aaeiilnn)



Series: all that i love (all that i need) [3]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Exhaustion, Friendship, Gen, Overworked, Ravenclaw Christine Palmer, Ravenclaw Stephen Strange, Time Turner (Harry Potter), hufflepuff tony stark, slytherin Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:40:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23118607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aaeiilnn/pseuds/protegostark
Summary: "I'm perfectly fine.""No, he's not." Tony muttered the moment Stephen was out of sight.Loki nodded. "Of course, he's not. He's been using a time turner.""He's been what now?"Prompts:HPQuoteBingo: "I'm going to keep going until I succeed— or die."SuperpowerBingo: Manipulate Time
Relationships: Stephen Strange & Christine Palmer, Tony Stark & Loki, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange & Loki & Christine Palmer
Series: all that i love (all that i need) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623931
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	this year, i plan to study a lot

**Author's Note:**

> waaah here we go again  
> i hope you enjoy some hufflepuff!tony, slytherin!loki, and ravenclaw!stephen&chris
> 
> title from: goin' back to hogwarts by team starkid
> 
> Prompts:  
> HPQuoteBingo: "I'm going to keep going until I succeed— or die."  
> SuperpowerBingo: Manipulate Time

The dark circles under Stephen's eyes were worrying. Tony had voiced out such concerns when he was in their usual spot at the courtyard, hoping that one of their friends would feel the same way. 

"If he doesn't get enough sleep, that's on him." Chris replied from her position leaning on the trunk of the tree with her eyes closed. "He wants to be a healer when we're done with Hogwarts, I think he knows how to take care of himself."

"Knowing it is different from actually doing it," Loki pointed out as he flipped through his potions book while sitting on the lowest branch of the tree. 

(Tony never saw Loki _climb_ the tree. He was just always there whenever they come back from class. One time, they both arrived at the same time, but when Tony looked away for _just_ one second, he saw Loki calmly sitting on the branches again when he turned back. It's a frustrating and slightly sensitive topic on Tony's part.) 

"Not that we have any right to say anything about that." Loki quipped. "None of us are the epitome of 'healthy habits'. You talk like you don't stay up all night when researching on making new spells." He directed that last sentence to Tony. 

Tony rolled his eyes. "Your arguments are useless, I expected better from a Ravenclaw aspiring to be a healer as well. I mean, Chris, how come you're still looking somewhat okay?" 

"Somewhat?" She raised an eyebrow. 

Tony shrugged. "None of us are looking our best, all the school work is really starting to affect us."

"Speak for yourselves." Loki scoffed, but kept his eyes on his book. 

Chris sighed and sat up. "I think the pressure is really getting to him. You know he wants the highest possible scores for a good starting position at Mungo's."

"He's excelling every class!" Tony exclaimed in frustration. "Call me crazy, but I think he may even dethrone Loki's top position in Potions at this point."

A book snapped close. "You _are_ crazy." 

Tony shifted his attention to the Slytherin on the branches. "And regarding your argument? I stay up all night and end up crashing at some point to recharge then I'm as good as new. Meanwhile, I actually _see_ Stephen sleeping in the library or in the Great Hall during study breaks, but he always seems to look worse whenever he's awake! It doesn't make sense!"

"There's always a possibility his sleeping schedule is just messed up because he prefers reading when it's already night." Chris guessed, leaning back into her position. 

"I'm getting this weird feeling it's heartbreak-related reasons." Tony winced. "We'd be such bad friends if we didn't even know he was in a relationship."

Loki hummed. "Maybe Stephen is actually fine and Tony's just exaggerating how bad he looks. Or maybe Stephen just really looks that bad now."

A small rock hit the trunk of the tree, missing Loki's foot by an inch. "Are you calling me ugly, Laufeyson?" 

"Your words, not mine."

Tony, who had been laying down on the grass with his pillow as a bag, lifted his head to see Stephen jump high enough to grab Loki's book and drop it on Loki's other things that he had left on the ground. He then leaned on the trunk, sitting on his usual place beside Chris. 

"Maybe," Stephen started, " _Stephen_ is just tired, because he's got a lot more on his schedule than he'd have thought."

Tony looked at him, confused. "Don't you and Chris have the same schedule, though?" 

Stephen tilted his head. "Well, yes. But also, Chris has been doing well in all of the subjects. While we all know, I practically spit in education's face in my first two years here in Hogwarts. I have to do extra things to be able to improve my score from that. OWLs are this year, after all."

"Ah yes," Tony sighed, "I remember those two years of you showing up to class without any homework whatsoever. I think you could have actually gotten McGonagall to go mad."

"It's a good thing I inspired you, then." Chris inserted into the conversation. "I'm taking all the credit for that, I really am. It's crazy how important I am to all of your lives!" 

Then the conversation and developed into their usual banters and arguments about trivial things. ( _No, boys, I really did have more of an impact on your lives instead of the other way around. You'd all be lost without me_.) And for a while, the first problem had been forgotten, until Stephen began to fix his things again.

"Leaving already?" Tony frowned. "You just got here."

"I've got Herbology in a couple of minutes. I should have just went straight there earlier and waited for the class to start, but I heard some people talking about my non-existent relationship and my, apparently, bad looks." Stephen shook his head. "I just had to see what kind of idiots they were."

"Herbology? Are you sure?" 

Stephen sent Loki a look. "I think I know my schedule better than anyone. I'll be off then. Please do stop gossiping about me, I'm perfectly fine."

"No, he's not." Tony muttered the moment Stephen was out of sight. 

Loki nodded. "Of course, he's not. He's been using a time turner."

"He's been what now?" Chris twisted her head to look at Loki. 

"He's using the time turner and taking extra classes. Herbology for Fifth Year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws was early this morning. And yesterday, I found out that he takes Transfiguration at the same time as our Potions classes." He shrugged. "It all makes sense."

Chris scrunched up her nose. "Why would they let him do that?" 

"My money's on Wong." Tony said after making sure the Arithmancy professor and head of house for Ravenclaw wasn't within earshot. "He was always encouraging Stephen to do better in his studies."

"That's his job, Tony," Chris rolled her eyes. "But I think he's the source of the time turner, at least. With his determination, I bet Stephen asked for it himself. I distinctly remember him reading up on past cases like this in Hogwarts. It's happened a handful of times, apparently."

"Do you think it's a secret? Are we not supposed to talk to him about it?" 

Loki dropped down from his branch. "Well, if it was, he should have done a better job hiding it. This is a loophole situation — I figured it out without anyone telling me, and you found out through me because I'm not bound to shut up about it."

"So, what do we do?" Tony fiddled with his black and yellow tie. "Do you think he'd be willing to talk about it?" 

"There's really no knowing with Stephen." Chris began packing up her things, signalling Tony to do the same as Loki had already finished before them. "I guess the least we could do is let him know we'd be willing to help."

"Ugh," Loki muttered, with no hint of malice. "Emotions."

Tony grinned. "It's called 'friendship', Lokes. Now, follow me."

Loki glared. "I'm heading to the dorms to get a bit of rest."

With an idea forming in his mind, Tony shook his head. "Nope. Since Chris has Muggle Studies in a while, you're coming with me to the kitchens." 

"You also have Muggle Studies, Tony."

"I'm half-blood, Chris. I don't need those lessons!" Tony waved goodbye and pulled at Loki's sleeve, tugging him to the direction of the Hufflepuff dorms and the kitchens.

(Loki's attention were immediately focused on the barrels at the entrance of the Hufflepuff dorms, as it always is whenever they pass by. And he makes the same comment he does every time he sees it, which leads to the same conversation it always does:

"You're all going to get robbed so easily."

"We've been through this a thousand times, Loki. It's showing that people are welcome to go inside."

"Yes, welcome to go inside and _steal._ ")

Dinnertime comes around quicker than they expected, but Tony had been able to prepare the things they needed. It was easy to move around the kitchens when you're a regular there and made the effort to get to know every house elf by name. They really could have made it to dinner on time, but Chris came back from Muggle Studies late and Loki had insisted that he won't be bringing his bag around to the Great Hall (to which Chris responded by rolling her eyes and carrying it for him instead).

They rushed to the Great Hall only to find Stephen near the end of the Ravenclaw table, his arms around his bag as he used it as a pillow for his head. 

Chris sighed. "The other students made room for him." She gestured to the wide space between their friend and the rest of the house. "I think his attitude showed up again. I swear, he's worse than the rest of us combined when he's sleep deprived."

"Hey stranger." Tony patted Stephen's shoulder as he took the seat beside him. "You're looking real tired, aren't you?"

"Ah, another comment on my looks." Stephen mumbled without lifting his head. "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes."

"No!" Tony rushed, throwing a glare at Loki.

Chris winced. "Yes, it really is."

"…Alright, fine. We're going the brutal honesty route then. Yes, it looks bad." Tony allowed.

The exhausted Ravenclaw finally lifted his head but kept his eyes closed. "I really should have gotten my life together before getting in this school."

"You were eleven. That's enough of an excuse to not have an idea of what to do in life." Loki responded, taking a bite of whatever fruit he's found served on the table. "Some people much older than us aren't even sure of what they're going to do."

Chris nodded in agreement. "Exactly, and I don't think there's much to worry about on your side. You're doing really well so far."

"I think you're doing too well if you had to resort to using time turners just to get to class." Tony shook his head. "Honestly, that was a level of desperation that I didn't expect from you." At his words, Stephen opened his eyes.

"Who figured it out? My guess was Chris since she knew I'd been reading about these things last year."

"I figured it out. You literally admitted taking classes of the same schedule in front of us."

Tony raised his hand. "I think it was a team effort. I noticed you looked tired, Loki noticed the schedule, Chris mentioned the reading. But anyway, don't you think you should rest? Or maybe shift to a regular schedule now? I really don't think it's—"

"I'm going to keep going until I succeed." Stephen interrupted and took a sip of the drink in front of him. "Or die."

"No need to be dramatic." Loki rolled his eyes.

Chris sighed. "Gotta say, I'm a bit disappointed. One of the first rules as a healer is you need to take care of yourself. Because if you don't, then who will? Your patients?"

"Nope!" Tony replied cheerfully before Stephen could. "We will!" And he took the package he had been hiding under the table and dropped it in front of Stephen, almost spilling the cup.

"It's an exhausted-from-time-turning care package! Personalized by these three awesome people, with help from the kitchens." Tony explained.

It took three blinks before Stephen processed that there was a huge bag in front of him and another two to move his hands to open it. Inside it was a muggle alarm clock (most likely brought by Tony), several chocolate frogs and licorice wands, a container stuffed with his favorite lemon squares from the kitchens, another two were full of small sandwiches, a bottle of water, and a blue pillow with the raven embroidered on it. He didn't even realize that he was getting the step-by-step explanation from the Hufflepuff beside him.

"—so you've got something healthy as well which can last for a week or so. I didn't realize that there wasn't any water so that was Chris' idea and it can fill up by itself! Then Loki suggested a pillow so you could at least have something better than the bag, and I added a space in between so you can put your arms through it and use it on a table like you were doing awhile ago and— Hey, what, are you crying?"

Stephen was holding the pillow when Tony asked that and looked visibly surprised to find a tear fall on his hand.

"I-I didn't…"

"Stephen," Tony sighed, his tone gone from excited to concerned. He gave into his (Hufflepuff) instincts and hugged his friend tightly. "If you're having a hard time, you should remember to get some rest."

Chris reached across from her side to hold Stephen's hand. "If not, at least talk with us about it. There's no need to keep this all to yourself."

Loki narrowed his eyes at Stephen. "You're not reacting badly because I placed a raven instead of an eagle, are you?" But at Chris' nudge and Tony's pointed look, he gave in. "Strange, if you're having a hard time, we do share some classes. I could give you my notes if you'd like to take a break, you know how detailed my notes are."

Stephen pulled away from Tony and wiped his face with his robes. "I… really appreciate this. You have no idea. I didn't realize how tired I was until I saw this."

"Time to take a break then. Have you eaten?" Tony asked.

"A bit. I don't think I can eat a lot right now."

"Then you can eat a lot tomorrow." Chris replied. "Right now, use the pillow and take a short nap. I don't trust you to get to the dorms safely by yourself, much less answer the riddle to get in. I'll go with you when we're done eating."

Stephen followed her instructions and slipped his arms through the pillow, frowning at the distracting raven on it. "That's really stupid, Laufeyson. The other houses aren't basing their mascots on the founder's name — Gryffindors don't use griffins."

"But take note of the difference in spelling and the fact that griffins are part lions, _so_ —"

"Stop." Tony commanded, looking at Loki before turning to Stephen. "Sleep."

Loki stopped and retrieved his book from his bag. Stephen glanced at the raven once more before falling asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.

"I'd feel bad to wake him up later on." Tony commented as he started taking some food. 

"He doesn't look like he'd wake up anyway." Loki added.

"I wasn't going to." Chris shrugged. "The plan was to either get one of you to fetch Madam Pomfrey so she could keep him in the hospital wing since she's one of the few people he listens to in this school, or walk up to Wong and demand his help considering he let his student use a time turner and he's turned out like this."

Loki hummed. "I'd go for the first one. Wong might just decide to wake him up anyway."

"So who's gonna go get Madam Pomfrey?" Tony asked while munching on a piece of chicken. When his question was met with silence, he looked up and found both of them staring back at him. "Oh, come on."

"I said the plan was to get one of you to do that." Chris defended.

"I'm not moving from this seat." Loki said determinedly then went back to his book.

"Fine," Tony huffed before returning to his food and eating it faster. "But if Stephen complains about being taken to the hospital wing, who's taking the blame?"

Loki and Chris looked at each other, then looked at Tony once more.

"Now, that's just unfair."

**Author's Note:**

> hope everyone's staying healthy and safe 💕


End file.
